Joel Jones is ready to take off — and he plans on bringing Sacramento State basketball with him.

The six-foot-five senior guard is chasing a dream high above any horizon Sacramento State basketball has ever seen.

It’s every child’s dream to play in the NBA. However, most of us start realizing that the dream is far from a reality sometime between getting braces and getting our drivers license. For others, the fantasy still remains a reality.

Sac State men’s basketball player Joel Jones still has that vision, and the possibility of it becoming a truth is becoming increasingly more possible. The San Diego native is glaring at his final season at Sac State, and the future is staring back with welcoming eyes. “If I don’t get hurt, I am going to make the NBA,” Jones said. “Whether I do it next year, or the year after that, eventually I will be in the NBA.”

Jones’ size, athletic ability and versatility, combined with his strong work ethic and desire will allow him the chance to prove himself worthy of the NBA, and he is not ready to let it slip by.

After finishing up finals this spring, Jones will be in and out of basketball gyms, weight rooms, camps and, once again, classrooms.

The 21 year-old will travel back to his hometown of San Diego where he will attend summer school at a local junior college. On the weekends he will drive back and forth to Los Angeles to compete in a West Coast summer league for college athletes.

In July, Jones will travel to the East Coast to take part in the adidas ABCD camp as both a master and a pupil. Following the instruction portion of the camp for the younger participants, where he will work as a counselor, Jones will work out with pro trainers and receive instruction from some of the game’s top minds.

Next on Jones’ long agenda will be San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he will be evaluated to play for the Puerto Rican National Team. Last summer Jones was selected to the Puerto Rican all-star team and placed second in their slam-dunk contest while playing with the Bayamon Vaqueros .

Jones is accustomed to making transitions — moving to Sacramento and traveling around the country has become a familiarity to Jones. His genuine attitude and strong work ethic has carried him wherever he has gone.

Joel, or “JoJo” as his friends call him, is a sincere, outgoing kind of guy ready to make the most of his college experience both on and off the court. He has found a home here at Sac State with a second family — his team.

One would be hard pressed to see Joel without his best friend and teammate Joseth Dawson. Seemingly attached at the hip, the two played against one another in junior college and began hanging out as soon as they came up here.

“He’s a funny dude,” Jones said. “He’s like a brother. We have our fights, but we’re always laughing. Of course I am going to grow closest to him at the moment since I have known him the longest, but our whole team is a real family.”

The representation of the team as a family couldn’t be more right on. Whether they are racing around in golf carts at charity events, playing pickup basketball, or just hanging out, these guys are always together.

It’s that kind of family mentality that has allowed Jones to relax and develop his game to the fullest of his potential.

“It’s much easier to relax and get work done when you are comfortable with those who you are working with,” Jones said.

And Jones is exuding more than just confidence — he is sweating out long days in the weight room and on the court.

And Jones isn’t just saying he is going to be in the NBA, he’s doing the things necessary to get himself there.

Jones was forced to redshirt last season due to an academic ineligibility, but is primed to get back on the court next season.

“As far as grades, he is really trying to prove that he wants to come back and make a big difference with this team and take this team further than we went last year,” teammate and Hornet center Tony Champion said. “He wants to maintain what he did his last season and build on that — take his game to another level.”

Ex-teammate Derek Lambeth said: “During the season, when we would come in and start practicing, he wasn’t allowed to be in the gym. Still, he was always in there working out, so he kept getting kicked out of the gym.”

With Jones’ determination and dedication to the little things, he is primed to have an incredible senior year at Sac State. If he can establish himself as one of the best players in the Big Sky, scouts from the NBA will be forced to take note.

“He has set himself apart from even the other guys that are redshirting,” assistant coach Zac Claus said. “JoJo is here every day, asking me for a basketball to workout with, wondering when the gym is open and letting me know when he is doing extra stuff. It is never a question about his work ethic. Potentially, he can be one of the top five players in this conference.”

Jones is looking to make the leap, but he isn’t looking past what he is doing now. His goals include getting all of his teammates involved and bringing this team to the NCAA tournament.

The NBA may be waiting in the wings for Jones either after he graduates or years in the future. But his individual play, along with the success of the team, will be the ultimate judge.

“The future is going to be determined by JoJo and his play,” head coach Jerome Jenkins said. “If he is good enough, it’s going to happen for him.”

Click here to send private feedback about this articleto the State Hornet’s Sports staff.